1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to an image data processing system for a sewing machine, and particularly to an image data processing system for a sewing machine wherein an original pattern to be embroidered is read from an image input device to produce image data, and thereafter the image data is subjected to data processing such as noise removal, data compression and data addition.
2. Description of the Prior art
In a data storage system which has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,434, a replica of a desired pattern is optically read by a scanner, and then converted to electrical signals, which are input to a data recorder and stored in a punch card.
In the above-mentioned data storage system, black and white data read by a scanner is merely changed to electrical signals of 1 and 0 and stored in a punch card, and no consideration is given to effectively perform processing such as noise removal and compression of image data which are required by the current embroidering machine.
There has also been a system wherein, after the image processing of image data input from an image input device, the worker instructs the sewing order, sewing pitch, etc. to produce embroidering data.
In this system, however, no consideration is given to effectively perform processing such as noise removal and compression of image data, and special knowledge and technique are required for the operation by the worker. Thus there is a problem that it is not suitable for sewing machines for domestic use.
Also, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,784 discloses a technique of mounting external storage means on the data read section of the machine main body for use as the auxiliary storage means of the machine.